Pop!Tech provides scientific discovery and social innovation information. Are you ready to challenge your paradigm? Step back and feel your brain spin into action while you think about the goals and objectives of this "community of innovators, working together to expand the edge of change." Thought-provoking videos (about 20 minutes long) address change from many angles.

In the Classroom

Want your students to think differently about science, technology, and collaborating? The projects and initiatives on this site did not happen in seclusion. Have students read an article and break it down to see how all three play equally important parts in creating change. Challenge students to work together to design or create something new for their school or community. This would be great in science classes, social studies classes, potentially even art or family and consumer science class. Expertise can come from many different disciplines. How many times have you told a student that they need to be prepared for jobs that may not yet exist? Emphasize this point by having them read different articles from this website. These innovations were certainly not around when today's parents were graduating. >br>
As an intro to upper level science courses or a lead-in to a gifted enrichment project, have students choose one video and explore the various scientific advances now in the preliminary stages that may lead to related changes. Challenge them to discover what future careers might draw on such change and to present the ideas as a "Window into Change" presentation using any medium they prefer (video, multimedia, music, poetry or ??).

This short article contains all the information you need to get started using QR codes in the classroom. The blog post begins with reasons to use QR codes and moves on to three parts: getting ready to use QR codes, teaching students to use the codes, and ideas for using codes in the classroom. One notable section explains common problems encountered using QR codes; this is an excellent resource to look through if you have difficulty at any time. Be sure to read the comments at the bottom of the post for some additional ideas for using QR codes in the classroom.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

QR codes are a sure-fire motivator for any class equipped with their own smart phones or school iTouches/iPads. Choose one of the ideas suggested in the article as a starting point for using QR codes in your classroom; then try additional ideas a little at a time. Share the article with other teachers and split up the ideas for each to become an "expert" in one of the strategies, share your experiences as you learn together.

Find lesson plans for English, Science, Math, Fine Arts, and Social Studies that integrate STEM and authentic learning principles. You can download innovative lesson plans that use inquiry, data collection, and scientific thinking to learn the subject. Many of these activities are cross-curricular, as well. One drawback: there does not seem to be a way to set a grade range on a lesson plan search, and lesson grade ranges are not obvious. Most appear to be middle to high school, even though the site is labeled as K-20. Though this site does not require Flash, the videos do.

In the Classroom

Did you ever think you could get students excited about reviewing the parts of speech? Take a look under the English category to find the lesson titled "War of Words" to see a perfect example of how to combine students' prior knowledge and their interest in arguing into enthusiasm for reviewing the four main parts of speech. This is just an example of how motivational these lessons in core subjects can be. Find lesson plans that include teacher and student resources to bring inquiry and authentic learning into your classroom. Increase STEM in your classroom with the great ideas from the innovative minds of the contributing educators.

Create an online study group with Dweeber. Though Dweeber has the social network look, it targets study groups, classmates, book groups, and all other types of educational groups to help each other with academics. Created with young people in mind, Dweeber has an ultra-cool look, and strict, upfront safety precautions. There are several components that make Dweeber unique. Their S.M.A.R.T. profile (stands for Successes, Mind Patterns, Attractions and Interests, Resources, and Thinking Talents) helps you to get to know how you and your friends learn best. My Sites/Top Sites is where you can store the sites that help you learn and study and is a place for you to vote on the best websites in the entire Dweeber network. Dweeber lists the sites that users have rated the highest. Up to eight people at a time can engage in a real-time study session using the collaborative whiteboard.

In the Classroom

Teachers and students create your own accounts. Then invite each student as friend. Go to the "My Dweebs" tab on the top, and click "New team" in the upper right corner. Create teams of any size. Engage student groups in discussions about current events, independent reading, literature, and more. Set up teams for students to work on projects or literature circles. Use the space as a forum to work out tasks and scheduling. Use the chat area for students to discuss the current novel they are reading or to ask peers for clarification about assignments. Students can brainstorm ideas for their group presentations or help each other work out math problems using the real-time collaborative whiteboard. Your students will likely suggest additional ways to use this tool from their world.

Thinkbinder lets you create an online study group. Enter a name for your study group and click create. Next enter your name, email, and password, and then create your account. Invite others to your group via email. Your study group will have access to group chat, video chat, file management, a collaborative whiteboard, and a bookmark button to share pictures, videos, and links from anywhere on the web. Enter topics you work on, and team up with others in your study group by giving them the code for the topic. Only the introductory video uses Flash.

In the Classroom

Create your own teacher account and invite each student via email. Use the topics code to invite students to specialized groups like literature circles, research groups, etc. Engage student groups in discussions about current events, independent reading, literature, and more. Use the chat area for students to discuss the current novel they are reading or to ask peers for clarification about assignments. Students can brainstorm ideas for their group presentations or help each other work out math problems using the real-time collaborative whiteboard.

Discover resources and ideas for using comics in the classroom. The simplicity here might be a good thing, so do not be fooled into thinking this site is not worth your time. Marek Bennett moved this site from an older Wordpress blog in March, 2014, but much of the older blog (and its great posts) remain as an archive, so explore BOTH. Click on any of the comic images to view posters, books, and tips for using comics in the classroom. Take the time to explore and view each of the links available. Be sure to check out the information about comics and multiple intelligences. Take time to explore other areas of the blog for more information on creating and using comics. There is information about paid workshops, but the site has much to offer without spending a cent.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Be sure to check out Teachers First's Comics Resources for many other ideas and tools for using comics in the classroom. Comics are great for telling the "story" of any curriculum concept, such as insect life cycles or biographies. They are also very creative for using with languages, ESL/ELL, gifted, and learning resource students for writing.

This area of the VideoJug video sharing site offers many resources sorted by school subject. Choose from math, poetry, cool experiments or other educational topics. Search for items using the search bar or sort videos by most viewed, newest, or hot now categories. Click on the thumbnail link to view the full video and view text below the video link. Many videos include text of the content below the video window so you can recap important steps or ideas. Register using your email and a password to save favorite videos. There is a short advertisement at the beginning of each video. Though the overall site is not in Flash, the videos are. Note that this education area is a part of a wider Videojug sharing site that includes topics not appropriate for schools ("Love and Dating," etc.). Control access if using the site with young people. Find links to specific video pages by clicking Embed at top left of the video and copying the link or the embed code.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Search the site for videos to use on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) with students. Share direct links to specific videos on your classroom website or blog for students to view at home. Think about using Grokit/Answers reviewed here, to put questions with the videos viewed at home. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos on any topic using the videos as examples. Share the videos created on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.

This tool is a terrific online photo editing and paint app. No account or registration is necessary. Upload a picture or find the URL of a photo from online or Facebook. Re-size, flip, rotate, crop, or alter the exposure, saturation, and contrast. Use additional features such as fix image, smart blur, and reflections. Use even more effects such as a cartoonizer, artistic painting, or wanted photo. You will love the retouch section which features the standard red-eye and blemish fix, along with teeth whitening. Add captions or text to the pictures with a wide selection of fonts. You can also create collages, but you must enable local storage of images on your computer. The Painter section includes standard pen, brush, erase with a sponge, and burn effects to allow for drawings on the pictures. Once completed, download the finished picture to a computer, post on Facebook, share by url, or upload to Flickr. Here is a sampleof adding text to an online image without even creating an account.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this tool anytime that photos need to be edited for use on class blogs, wikis, or sites. Encourage students to use on images for projects or presentations. Use the editor to edit pictures to fit styles of pictures when doing historical reports or to set a mood. Use caption bubbles for the photos themselves to tell the stories. Have students annotate or label Creative Commons online images of cells, structures of an animal, and much more, sharing the results (with an image credit) on your class wiki.

Find lesson ideas and more for literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, history and social studies at the reworked site that was once part of MarcoPolo. Book articles, data bases, educational gaming, professional development events, sound, film, video resources, and resource website lists all aid teachers and learners. A calendar keeps you up to date with famous dates in history.

In the Classroom

Use Edsitement for lesson ideas in language, history, literature, and cultures. Find multiple sources to give a deeper comprehension on the subject matter. In history classes, keep the ongoing calendar in your favorites to celebrate an important historical day every day. Lesson plans cover multiple grade levels in many different subject areas. Resources can enrich, or even to give further explanation to current topics of study.

Around the world in one website? See the world using photo tours in Google maps thanks to this blog post explaining how. Enter 3D photo scenes to immerse you in nearly 15,000 popular sites and cultures from around the world. Find blog tools and useful links to make your visit more interesting. This site works best in FireFox or Chrome, and you will need to download Google Maps' web GL.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use photo tours in Google to expand your classroom into the world. The easy tutorial flies you off immediately into the world without budget, permission slips, or travel. Social studies and history come alive in the actual settings. Examine the real look at world cultures. Bring into a world language class for a field trip. In language arts, explore settings from around the world and see how they influence the story. Look at folktales from around the world with their settings. Current events come alive and meaningful through your visit. In language arts classes or math classes, plan an imaginary trip to a different place. Google photo tours make it concrete and allow you to experience the world. Transport your students to another place, and see if they can play Where in the World. In art classes, study architecture or nature to influence art pieces. Science classes can explore landscapes, earth surfaces, natural resources, mapping skills, and habitats. Now your classroom has no walls.

Don't know what to read next? No problem. Sign up and, based on your interests, you will receive short excerpts via email for suggested books every day. See a quick look at a book before deciding to read the entire novel. Join email book clubs at local libraries with the book club links on this site.

In the Classroom

Sign up for DearReader and receive daily emails with book excerpts. Share the excerpts with your class as a way to hook some into reading or to offer book suggestions. Use the emails as an example of a service that students may want to try; have students choose an interesting excerpt from a book they are reading and share with others via email or your classroom blog or website. Consider having students create "talking pictures" to read their excerpt using Fotobabble reviewed here. Use excerpts as a discussion starter in literacy circles or writers workshops.

Speed read your way into an easy to use speed reading test. In just a few minutes, read and take a short comprehension quiz; discover your time and how you compare nationally. Next, discover how long it would take you to read War and Peace, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Lord of the Rings, Catch 22, and 1984.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Race to read, with Staples simple Speed reading test. Offer your students and parents an easy way to track reading fluency. Use this tool to open discussion about the reasons why we sometimes need to slow down and how practice can build fluency. Offer contests, use in portfolios, or just plain have fun reading! Begin by using on the interactive whiteboard and reading aloud and modeling good reading behaviors. Help students discover the skills of great comprehension. Have students graph the family results. Test your principal and other teachers. Use this website to prove reading takes practice. For another reading speed builder, try Easy Prompter, reviewed here.

Search for any place in the world and view images of "what was there" in the past using a Google Maps street view. Find your location on Google Maps, then search through the list of available photographs. View the photo details or view in Google Street View (the little orange man). Photo details include date taken, title, description, and copyright information. Roll over the photo for a magnified view. In Street View, you can fade in and out through the photograph. You can upload photos, too. This tool is also available as an iPhone app.

In the Classroom

Use this tool to explore the changes in your local area or elsewhere. Compare medicine, education, nutrition, and more from each of the time periods. Create a campaign to showcase your local area today by cataloguing various neighborhoods with your classes. Write stories about life in each of the historical periods. Research headline news of those days, political figures, and major achievements. In elementary grades, show how towns and cities change over time by projecting the photos and maps as part of your Communities unit. In very early grades, introduce the very idea of history by showing "what was there" at familiar local sites. Have students write stories about what happened there "once upon a time."

Photo Pin is a search engine for Creative Commons photos that you can use (with credit), even if you are placing products on the web. Photo Pin has a beautiful and simple interface; filter your search by keyword and category. Clicking Get Photo also provides the attribution link for the photo and a choice of different sizes to download. Warning: Remind students about school and class rules about searching on the Internet. Give students explicit directions about what to search for. Some images are sexually graphic.

In the Classroom

Photo Pin is invaluable for students and teachers needing high quality photos for use on class blogs, wikis, or presentation sites. Be sure to remind students to use the attribution link along with the photo, especially when publishing on the web. Art students can use these images to create collages, design studies, and more, all with attribution of their sources. Use images as blog prompts or illustrations in student projects. Make sure students see you giving attribution, too! Find images of locations you are studying in world cultures or geography class. Find images to use in student online projects such as Bookemon, reviewed here, or Superlame, reviewed here. Keep this site as a reference link on your class web page for any time students are creating wikis, blogs, or electronic projects where they need images. They can find just the right picture with CC licensing, and you should require them to include the citation provided! Be sure that students understand rules for sharing appropriate and inappropriate images and copyright concerns.

What2Learn is an excellent source of classroom games or practice to learn about many different subject areas. It provides ways to engage and enhance literacy. The fastest approach to this site is to click on the game tab and search for the concept you are looking to apply. Searching for games shows advertisements first, then your game search results. This site will allow you to join and create your own games, but there is a cost to this.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Find an activity that reinforces the concepts in your curriculum. Show your students how simple it is to play by using your interactive whiteboard for demonstration. Have students try out the site on your interactive whiteboard. Post a link to the specific games you want students to play on your classroom computers, wiki or class website. If students play the games in your classroom, have headphones ready.

Grockit is a tool for hosting timely Q&A discussions around web videos, and it works with any YouTube or Vimeo hosted videos. You can create a Q&A page about a video that only you and the people you choose can access. You can moderate the conversation to get additional controls and deeper insight into what's happening. To begin, search for any YouTube or Vimeo video, or put in the URL of a video you want to use. Then, choose to make a public or private question and answer session. The video will appear framed on the page, and you just need to add a few questions to get things started. Type these into the field on the top left of your screen. If you play through the video and pause at certain moments, the question will appear at that point in the video. Share the video by clicking on 'Share this page." This will give you a URL that you can share with others. If you click on 'Moderate Q&A on this video' at the bottom of the page, you can create playlists, moderate submissions to the Q&A, and even get an embed code to add it to other materials.

Note that the general public can write and answer PUBLIC Q/A sessions, so preview for appropriateness before sharing with others. If you create a private Q/A you can avoid this problem.

In the Classroom

Begin by searching for pre-existing public videos that already have questions. Preview and share these with students as you begin a unit or for review. Create your own videos for students to use for review or have students generate questions for a video you choose. Assign videos for students to view at home, in the computer lab, or on laptops. You can even have students post their questions and responses within the video. Learning Support teachers could have students write questions and test each other using videos to reinforce topics they are studying without using loads of reading material.

Create your own web page almost instantly with this page editor and publisher. Select a page address and title then start adding content using the site's tools. The format is similar to Word documents. Highlight text to change font, size, and colors. Include images with a URL link or upload to the site. Image descriptions, height, and borders can all be modified. Include your email before publishing your page if you want to be able to edit your pages later; however, it is not necessary.

In the Classroom

Use this site for students to post simple projects such as stories, poems, and art projects. Collect a master list of links to student pages on your classroom website, wiki, or blog for easy access. If students are creating pages, be sure to check with your district's policy on student use of email as well as publishing of student work.

The World of Reading allows you to submit your own book reviews with this easy to use site. Additionally, click on the Email Book Club tab and sign up to receive short excerpts from librarian-selected books you might enjoy. By clicking on the Book Search tab, you can read peer reviews of books you have enjoyed or might enjoy in the future. A wonderful thing about this site is that reviews come from children from all around the world; every submitted review appears on the site.

In the Classroom

After checking with your administration about submission policies, have your class submit group or individual reviews of books they are reading. Also, students can check to see if books they've read have a review. If not, have them write one. Bookmark the site on a classroom computer so students who finish work early can look for a new book to read. Put a link to this site on your teacher page for parents and students for access at home.

Flash to PBS to get a bolt of learning about Nikola Tesla. Discover a compressive view of Tesla from his early years and his coming to America. Follow his accomplishments while harnessing the Niagara. Discover the true mystery about who invented the radio. Trace his inventions and accomplishments. Inside the lab, discover the AC motor, the Tesla coil, radio, remote controls, and improved lightning. Resources include a timeline of electricity and radio, Tesla's patents, and articles about Tesla. Explore discussions from experts about Tesla's life and accomplishments. There are lesson plans for teachers. Some materials are for sale.

In the Classroom

Add intrigue and mystery, to your science unit on electricity, motion, or inventors as you study the life and accomplishments of Nikola Tesla. Excellent lesson plans include a concrete understanding of potential energy, mechanical energy to electrical energy. Use on an interactive white board to begin your unit or create a "Who Dunnit" with electricity or radio. Follow the structure of ideas presented to create an online "famous scientist" wiki, blog or PowerPoint to add to your class website. Use a Socratic seminar to debate which scientist should get credit for the induction motor, radio, and even the Industrial Revolution. Use the readings for older students, advanced readers, or gifted students, as they are far above the reading level of elementary and early middle school students. In language arts, writing topics could include "What a shock electricity is in my life" and "Will the true inventor of electricity please stand up?" The ideas and resources are electrifying!

How many words do you know? Play the Dynamo challenge and learn new vocabulary with this free site. Choose from various grade levels, subject areas, and even for test prep (high school and college/graduate level). Find help with Latin and Spanish, too. Create lists and look at lists created by others. Create your own personalized home page to keep track of your progress. Play games and study using flashcards.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use Word Dynamo to explore or study new words. Create lists of words to learn. Have students keep track of their progress by creating their own page. You may want to post the address for this program on your website or wiki, and bookmark it on the classroom computers. There is no need to sign up to simply play games.

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Comments

Be careful! The Greek and Latin root games on this site are fakes and do not offer the benefits that real root-learning does. Also, even the definitions of elementary level words contain many much harder words, meaning that students may get an inaccurately low reading.Ellisha, , Grades: 0 - 12